Mercury Toxicity

Mercury (Hg)

Sources of Mercury:
Mercury is commonly used in dental amalgam fillings, laxatives
containing calomel, hemorrhoid suppositories, some printer inks, tattoo inks,
batteries, positional electrical switches, some paints, some
cosmetics, some fabric softeners, wood preservatives, some
solvents, some drugs, some plastics, contaminated fish and seafood,
volcanic emissions, mining operations, paper mills, contaminated
rainfall, in pure liquid form in thermometers, barometers and
laboratory equipment, thermostats, some childhood vaccines, and in fungicides
and pesticides. The fungicide/pesticide use of mercury has declined
due to environmental concerns, but mercury residues persist from
past use. Methyl mercury, the common, poisonous form, occurs by
methylation in aquatic biota or sediments (both freshwater and ocean
sediments). Methyl mercury accumulates in aquatic animals and fish
and is concentrated up the food chain reaching high concentrations
in large fish and predatory birds. Except for fish, the human intake
of dietary mercury is negligible unless the food is contaminated
with one of the previously listed forms/sources. A daily diet of
fish can cause 1 to 10 micrograms of mercury/day to be ingested,
with about three-quarters of this (typically) as methyl mercury.
Depending upon body burden and upon type, duration and dosage
of detoxifying agents, elevated urine mercury may occur after
administration of: DMPS, DMSA, D-penicillamine, or EDTA. Elemental
analysis of hair can be a secondary corroborating test for mercury burden.
Blood and especially blood cell analyses are only useful for
diagnosing very recent or ongoing organic (methyl) mercury exposure.

Presentation of
symptoms associated with excessive mercury can depend on many
factors: the chemical form of absorbed Hg and its transport in body
tissues, presence of other synergistic toxics (lead and cadmium have
such effects), presence of disease that depletes or inactivates
lymphocytes or is immunosuppressive, organ levels of xenobiotic
chemicals and sulfhydryl-bearing metabolites (e.g. glutathione), and
the concentration of protective nutrients, (e.g. zinc, selenium,
vitamin E).

If you suspect that
you have elevated Mercury levels, it is important for you to know
that whole blood analysis can reflect only recent exposures and does
not correlate well with total body burden of Mercury. Here at Chelation Medical
Center we check for excessive retention of Mercury after provocation
with chelation. This measures your total body load of
Mercury, as well as other heavy
metals.
It is recommended that you avoid eating fish for at least four days
prior to being tested for Mercury levels to determine accurate
tissue levels of Mercury. Just give us a call.